diff --git a/packages/react-router/src/router.ts b/packages/react-router/src/router.ts
index cb07523e983..627d82bc058 100644
--- a/packages/react-router/src/router.ts
+++ b/packages/react-router/src/router.ts
@@ -1975,12 +1975,38 @@ export class Router<
               const existingMatch = this.getMatch(matchId)!
               const parentMatchId = matches[index - 1]?.id
 
+              const route = this.looseRoutesById[routeId]!
+
+              const pendingMs =
+                route.options.pendingMs ?? this.options.defaultPendingMs
+
+              const shouldPending = !!(
+                onReady &&
+                !this.isServer &&
+                !preload &&
+                (route.options.loader || route.options.beforeLoad) &&
+                typeof pendingMs === 'number' &&
+                pendingMs !== Infinity &&
+                (route.options.pendingComponent ??
+                  this.options.defaultPendingComponent)
+              )
+
               if (
                 // If we are in the middle of a load, either of these will be present
                 // (not to be confused with `loadPromise`, which is always defined)
                 existingMatch.beforeLoadPromise ||
                 existingMatch.loaderPromise
               ) {
+                if (shouldPending) {
+                  setTimeout(() => {
+                    try {
+                      // Update the match and prematurely resolve the loadMatches promise so that
+                      // the pending component can start rendering
+                      triggerOnReady()
+                    } catch {}
+                  }, pendingMs)
+                }
+
                 // Wait for the beforeLoad to resolve before we continue
                 await existingMatch.beforeLoadPromise
               } else {
@@ -1994,23 +2020,8 @@ export class Router<
                     beforeLoadPromise: createControlledPromise<void>(),
                   }))
 
-                  const route = this.looseRoutesById[routeId]!
                   const abortController = new AbortController()
 
-                  const pendingMs =
-                    route.options.pendingMs ?? this.options.defaultPendingMs
-
-                  const shouldPending = !!(
-                    onReady &&
-                    !this.isServer &&
-                    !preload &&
-                    (route.options.loader || route.options.beforeLoad) &&
-                    typeof pendingMs === 'number' &&
-                    pendingMs !== Infinity &&
-                    (route.options.pendingComponent ??
-                      this.options.defaultPendingComponent)
-                  )
-
                   let pendingTimeout: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>
 
                   if (shouldPending) {
diff --git a/packages/react-router/tests/link.test.tsx b/packages/react-router/tests/link.test.tsx
index 9bf54202b02..e2a5e0e1831 100644
--- a/packages/react-router/tests/link.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-router/tests/link.test.tsx
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import {
   useRouterState,
   useSearch,
 } from '../src'
-import { getIntersectionObserverMock } from './utils'
+import { getIntersectionObserverMock, sleep } from './utils'
 
 const ioObserveMock = vi.fn()
 const ioDisconnectMock = vi.fn()
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ afterEach(() => {
   cleanup()
 })
 
+const WAIT_TIME = 300
+
 describe('Link', () => {
   test('when using renderHook it returns a hook with same content to prove rerender works', async () => {
     /**
@@ -3528,6 +3530,57 @@ describe('Link', () => {
 
     expect(ioObserveMock).not.toBeCalled()
   })
+
+  test('Router.preload="intent", pendingComponent renders during unresolved route loader', async () => {
+    const rootRoute = createRootRoute()
+    const indexRoute = createRoute({
+      getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
+      path: '/',
+      component: () => {
+        return (
+          <div>
+            <h1>Index page</h1>
+            <Link to="/posts" preload="intent">
+              link to posts
+            </Link>
+          </div>
+        )
+      },
+    })
+
+    const postRoute = createRoute({
+      getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
+      path: '/posts',
+      loader: () => sleep(WAIT_TIME),
+      component: () => <div>Posts page</div>,
+    })
+
+    const routeTree = rootRoute.addChildren([postRoute, indexRoute])
+    const router = createRouter({
+      routeTree,
+      defaultPreload: 'intent',
+      defaultPendingMs: 200,
+      defaultPendingComponent: () => <p>Loading...</p>,
+    })
+
+    render(<RouterProvider router={router} />)
+
+    const linkToPosts = await screen.findByRole('link', {
+      name: 'link to posts',
+    })
+    expect(linkToPosts).toBeInTheDocument()
+
+    fireEvent.focus(linkToPosts)
+    fireEvent.click(linkToPosts)
+
+    const loadingElement = await screen.findByText('Loading...')
+    expect(loadingElement).toBeInTheDocument()
+
+    const postsElement = await screen.findByText('Posts page')
+    expect(postsElement).toBeInTheDocument()
+
+    expect(window.location.pathname).toBe('/posts')
+  })
 })
 
 describe('createLink', () => {